Retractable-back vehicle safety seat



R. G. THIEM RETRACTABLE-BACK VEHICLE SAFETY SEAT July 30, 1957 FiledSept. 21, 1956 INVENTOR. E0552? 6-. 77-l/EM A rro/eA a s Unite Thisinvention relates to improvements in vehicle seats and more particularlyin retractable-back forward seats for two-door automobiles havingpassenger compartments behind their forward seats. The invention isherein illustratively described by reference to the presently preferredform thereof; however, it will be recognized that certain modificationsand changes therein with respect to details may be made withoutdeparting from the essential features involved. This application is acontinuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 541,609, filed October20, 1955, now abandoned.

In the conventional two-door sedan or club coupe automobile the frontseat back consists of two independently hinged sections either of whichmay be swung forwardly and somewhat inwardly on its pivots in order toprovide an opening through which passengers may gain access to the rearcompartment. Such an arrangement has certain well known shortcomings andlimitations. In the event of a collision the back sections of the frontseat, or at least one of them is thrown forward and thereby is of littleor no protection to persons in the rear seat immediately behind it sincetheir unchecked momentum carries them over the front seat and often intothe windshield. Any front seat with a swinging or dropping backtherefore provides little or no protection to rear seat passengers inthe event of collision. Another disadvantage of this type of seatconstruction is the inconvenience to passengers occupying the front seatwhen its back must be swung down in order to permit entry or exit ofrear seat passengers. Further, the gap between the separately hingedseat sections is often uncomfortable to front-seat passengers leaningagainst it. Further, the amount and shape of the opening made at theside of a vehicle by swinging down the back of the front seat does notmake it as comfortably negotiable as might be desired.

An object of the present invention is to provide a retractable-backfront seat for two-door automobiles and the like which in its normalposition furnishes a maximum of protection to rear seat passengers bypresenting a barrier which prevents them from being readily thrown overthe front seat and into the windshield of the vehicle in the event ofcollision.

Another object is such a seat construction which permits the passengersoccupying the seat to remain comfortably seated while others areentering or leaving the vehicle past the retracted end of the seat inmoving into or from the rear compartment.

Still another object is such a seat construction wherein the usual gapbetween conventional seat back sections is altogether eliminated.

Still another object is an improved retractable-back front seat for suchvehicles which forms a more convenient access opening for entrance andexit of rear seat passengers than heretofore.

In attaining these and related objects the invention comprises, in briefterms, the provision of a seat back rigidly mounted against tilting outof its upright position but States Patent ice adapted to be compressedlengthwise of itself by inward movement of one or both of itsopposite-end support means transversely of the vehicle, together withmeans selectively operable for moving said support means independentlyin order to produce access openings of a shape and size enablingpassengers conveniently and comfortably to enter and leave the rearcompartment of the vehicle. Preferably the seat back comprises a foamrubber cushion member backed by overlapping stiffener plates guided inrelation to each other for relative sliding movement transversely of thevehicle in order to shorten and lengthen the seat back by compressionand expansion of the cushion member, such cushion member being connectedto upright end support members also connected to the backing plates.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention willbecome more fully evident from the following description thereof byreference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved seat construction, partsbeing broken away to illustrate certain details.

Figure 2 comprises a similar view of the seat with one end of the backretracted.

Figure 3 is an end view thereof, partly in section.

Figure 4 is a rear View of an end portion thereof with parts brokenaway.

Figure 5 is a simplified top View of the arrangement of such a seat in atwo-door sedan automobile.

Automobile manufacturers usually allow sufficient space between the rearcorner of a front seat and the rear edge of the adjacent door frame topass the foot and lower leg of a rear seat passenger. In Figure 5 thisspace or gap is designated G and the rear edge of the door frame R.However, with the low ceiling type of construction now in use theentering or departing rear seat passenger must stoop down to a crouchingposition as he enters and leaves the vehicle, thus is required to bendhis legs at the knee as well as lean over the front seat in so doing.The awkward position which the passenger must assume in entering andleaving the conventional two-door sedan is aggravated by the shape andsize of the access opening formed by the downwardly swung front seatback section. With the improved construction herein disclosed, however,much of this inconvenience and discomfort is eliminated inasmuch as theeffective width of the access opening, particularly in the lower regionthereof, is materially increased. In Figure 5 the left edge of the frontseat back may be shifted inwardly approximately to the position Lwhereas the right edge thereof may be shifted inwardly approximately tothe position M assuming the opposite edge remains in its original posi'tion. If a sufliciently compressible type of construction is used forthe seat back cushion, both edges may be shifted inwardly to theirillustrated inner positions simultaneously, although this isunnecessary. Inward shifting of either end by approximately one foot isadequate. If two passengers occupy the front seat at the time either endof the seat back is moved inwardly they may remain comfortably seatedsimply by one of them sliding over a bit away from the retracted edge.

Referring to the details of the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1to 4, inclusive, the seat comprises the bottom 10 consisting of a base10a adapted for securement to the bed of the vehicle frame and, ifdesired, for adjustable positioning lengthwise of the vehicle in theconventional manner. The bottom cushion 1% rests on a supporting pan 10cand is covered by upholstery 10d in the usual manner. The illustratedform of the seat bottom is simplified for convenience, and it will berecognized that any suitable type of construction may be employedtherein, and that the invention is not dependent on the details thereof.

The seat back 12 extending in upright position along the rear edge oftheseat bottom comprises the elongated cushion member 14 offoam rubber orsimilar' compressible material, or constructed in a suitable mannerwhich will permit compression thereof'lengthwise of itself. When thecushion member 14 is' foam rubber .as illustrated, it is relativelyflexible hence requires stiffening or backing for support. To this endthe cushion member is backed by two plates 16 and 18 disposed inmutually overlapping relationship and guided together for slidingrelatively lengthwise in order to vary the amount'of their overlap. Oneof. the plates, 16, is provided with reversely bent edges 16a and 16bserving as retaining guides for the plate 18, permitting .such relativesliding of .the plates while maintaining them in substantially coplanarrelationshipas an effective integral support for the cushion member'14in any of the relative positions of the plates. The plate 18 has aforwardly turned outer end portion 180 and the plate 16 has a similarend portion (not shown) which serve as retainers for the respective endsof the cushion member. An upright post 20 is connected by' rivets orbolts 22 to the corner formed between the plate 18 and its end portion180, and a similar post is likewise connected to the corner of the plate16. The end portion of the cushion member 14 is suitably secured to theend of the, plate 18 and its end portion 180, and thereby, orseparately, to the corner post 20, as by means of adhesive bonding orotherwise, whereas the back side of the cushion over the major portionof the length thereof between the end supports is free to slide on theplates 16 and 18 in order to permit re-expansion and contraction of thecushion for purposes of the invention.

The lower end of the post 20 is rigidly connected to an angle member 24.Such angle member has a threaded bore therein which engages the threadedportion of a screw shaft 26 extending horizontally transversely of thevehicle at a location beneath the seat back. Theinner end of the screwshaft 26 is journalled in a fixed support 28 which receives thecorresponding end of the similar screw shaft '39 associated with theopposite end portion of the seat. Above the angle member 24 the post 20is apertured to slide on the guide rod 32. The rod 32 is supported atboth ends by brackets 34 mounted on the seat base 10a and in the middleby the support 28. The rod 32 is parallel to and positioned materiallyabove the screw shaft 26 so as to provide support to the seat backagainst tilting thereof in any. direction. The shafts 26 and 30 areindependently rotatable. The shaft 26 is rotated by the reversibleelectric motor 36 and suitable gear reduction means (not separatelyshown). The motor is mounted on the seat base 10a and is connected tothe screw'shaft through bevel gears 38. A switch panel 40 mounted on theend of the seat bottom 10 at a convenient location controls energizationof the motor 36 through suitable electric circuits in order to rotatethe shaft 26 in one direction or the other. Suitable limit switches (notshown) are provided in order to de-energize the motor automatically whenthe upright support post 20 reaches the desired limits of travel. Onesuch limit is that in which the seat back extends substantially tothecorresponding end of the seat bottom whereas the opposite limitcorresponds to that in which the seat back cushion member 14 iscompressed suificiently to provide the dc sired amount of clearance pastthe end of the seat back for entry and exit of passengers. Other anddilferently located switch panels equivalent to the panel40 may beprovided in the vehicle at suitable locations. It Will be recognizedthat a similar'motor'and. controls therefor are provided for operatingthe screw shaft 30in order to retract and extend the opposite end of theseat backf It will also be recognized that in general other suitableactuating meansmay be used, manual or power driven,

'in orderto move the seat back ends inwardly to passenger 4 admittingposition, and outwardly to normal seating position.

These and other modifications or departures from the illustratedembodiment will be evident to those skilled in the art, as to structuraland actuating means employed. In order to retain the back cushion member14 in place against the backing plates 16 and 18 to preserve its form orprevent outward bowing or bulging when compressed, the entire seat backis encased by a resiliently contractable cover 42 which provides thedesired upholstering effect as well as the functional efiect described.This elastic cover 42 is stretched in the extended position of the seatback and contracts resiliently as the seat back,

is shortened while retaining suflicient further contractability'in theshortest condition of the seat back in order to firmly embrace the seatcushion 14 and hold it in place. In a typical application of theinvention the seat back will be approximately five and one-half feetlong and will be required to shorten approximately one foot in length inorder to provide ample clearance at either end for entrance and exit ofpassengers. Thus the cushion member 14 and the retaining elastic cover42 need expand and contract only by approximately slightly less than 20%of their total length in order to accomplish the desired result inasmuchas it will be necessary to retract only one end of the seat back at atime. In fact, suitable switching arrangements in the motor energizingcircuits may be provided according to well known techniques whichpreclude energization of one end drive motor when the seat back endsupport at the opposite end of theseat V rubber orthe like. Other, typesof construction permitting contraction of the seat back lengthwise ofitself While, having the desired cushioning effect may also be employed.Furthermore, the back cushion may be formed in sections, one or more ofwhich may becompressible and expandable lengthwise of the seat back inorder to permit over-all longitudinal contraction and expansion asdesired. Here again, it will be evident that the details of seatsincorporating the invention may vary. vI claim as my invention: I

1. A retractable-back vehicle seat comprising, in combination witha seatbottom of predetermined length, a seat back extending along the rearedge thereof, said seat back comprising a cushion member normallyextending substantially the full length of said seat back and adapted tobe compressed to a materially lesser length, support means connected torespectively opposite ends 'of said cushion member and maintaining thesameupright, and means guiding at least one of said support means topermit translational movement thereof in the direction toward and fromthe opposite support means, thereby to shorten and lengthen said cushionmember.

2. A retractable-back vehicle seat comprising, in combination with aseat bottom'of predetermined length, a seat back extending along therear edge thereof and havinga normal length corresponding to that of theseat bottom, said seat back comprising a cushion member normallyextending substantially the full length of said seat back and adaptedto'be compressed to a materially lesser length, upright support meansconnected to reback further includes rigid backing plates secured to therespective upright support means and extending therefrom insubstantially coplanar relationship across the rear face of the seatback, said backing plates being guided together to permit coplanarmovement of one thereof toward and from the other accompanying movementof one such support means toward and from the other, thereby to permitshortening and lengthening of the cushion member and its backingtogether.

4. The vehicle seat defined in claim 3, wherein the cushion membercomprises foam-rubber-like material, and means interconnecting thebacking plates to slide together in overlapping relationship.

5. The vehicle seat defined in claim 3, and resiliently contractableseat cover means extending around and over said seat back, said covermeans being stretched and lengthened against its resilient recoil forcein the lengthened condition of the seat back.

6. The vehicle seat defined in claim 5, and reversible power operatedmeans connected to the movable support means and selectively energizableto move such means toward and from the other support means forshortening and lengthening the seat back.

7. The vehicle seat defined in claim 2, and reversible power operatedmeans connected to the movable support means and selectively energizableto move such means toward and from the other support means forshortening and lengthening the seat back.

8. A retractable-back vehicle seat comprising, in combination with aseat bottom of predetermined length, a seat back extending along therear edge thereof, said seat back comprising a cushion member normallyextending substantially the full length of said seat back and having atleast a portion of its length adapted to be compressed to reduce saidcushion member to a materially lesser length, upright support meansconnected to respectively opposite ends of said cushion member andmaintaining the same upright, means guiding at least one of said supportmeans to permit translational movement thereof in the direction towardand from the opposite support means, thereby to shorten and lengthensaid cushion member, and power operated means connected to said movablesupport means and selectively energizable to efiect such movement ineither direction.

9. In an automobile of the two-door type, the com bination comprising aseat bottom spanning substantially the full width of the automobilebetween the two doors thereof, a seat back extending in upright positionalong the rear edge of said seat bottom, said seat back having a normallength substantially equal to that of said seat bottom transversely ofthe automobile and being compressible lengthwise of itself to amaterially reduced length, said seat back comprising support means ateach end supporting the same against tilting, means guiding said supportmeans to permit independent translational movement thereof transverselyto the automobile without tilting thereof lengthwise of the automobile,thereby to shorten and lengthen said seat back from either end thereof,and actuating means respectively connected to said support means andselectively operable to efiect such movement of said support meansindividually in either direction.

10. In an automobile of the two-door type, the combination comprising aseat bottom spanning substantially the full width of the automobilebetween the two doors thereof, a seat back extending in upright positionalong the rear edge of said seat bottom, said seat back having a normallength substantially equal to that of said seat bottom transversely ofthe automobile and being compressible lengthwise of itself to amaterially reduced length, said seat back comprising support means ateach end supporting the same against tilting, means guiding at least oneof said support means to permit movement thereof generally transverselyto the automobile without tilting thereof lengthwise of the automobile,thereby to shorten and lengthen said seat back, and actuating meansconnected to said movable support means and selectively operable toeffect such movement thereof in either direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS843,780 Wheatley Feb. 12, 1907 954,594 Shaw Apr. 12, 1910 1,262,751Choma. Apr. 16, 1918

